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Having just returned from Cornwall, I today find several holes in my now 8+ year old one and so need a new one before heading to Wales in a couple of weeks (and there aren't surf shops where we're going).
Can anyone recommend me somewhere online and also, what zip type is best; back, chest or no zip?
Thanks in advance
If your happy with your old suit, you could always patch it? Save a fair bit of money.
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I did think that but there's a hole and two others are on the stitching base of the zip.
yeah the aquasure glue is awesome stuff, really strong resin like bond. I have used it a lot on high stress areas or to fill or glue a hole. Def worth a go if it means your suit can go on a bit longer.
Depends on how far into the colder months you want to use it. Water's still warm (as of this afternoon) so you could get away with a 3/2 almost up until Xmas.
Two of my suits are neck entry and only my older summer suit is back zip. Fit is the most important aspect; snug but not restrictive is best.
My best suits have been Tiki.
8 year old wetsuit will have lost much of its flexibility, suppleness and will leak like a sieve through the seams.
Try the wetsuitoutlet.co.UK or wetsuitcentre or surfdome for deals.
Personally a fan of rip curl suits
If you've got the money, the new patagucci yulex suits look awesome.
I've got a xcell 3.2 front zip and a rip curl flash bomb zip less 5.4.
The zip less is a whole sweaty world of horrible rubberyness to get into, but once on its practically bone dry and incredibly flexible for such a warm suit. It gets easier with practice, but it's never going to be a back zip or even a front zip, it is warmer and more flexible though.
I'd not go back to a back zip, front or none are such an improvement in both watertightness and flexibility.
+1 for glue though. My xcell has some pretty big holes in it but patched up perfectly.
5/4mm for the UK. Go back zip with a pull over "bat wing" over the neck seal. Good makes are - Xcel, Gul, West, O'Neill and billabong. Decent suits are good for around 3 years then bin!.. they lose all stretch and degrade with salt & UV. Always wash the suit out with a hose inside & out and dry in and reverse. Decent suits are around £180 upwards, the cheap £100 suits are only "blind stitched" and will cover you for summer months only, go for a "seam sealed suit"
www.wetsuitoutlet.co.uk one of the best in the Uk and very good with returns etc,
This would be my choice for a decent lower priced suit:
If you aren't going to surf past oct/Nov or before apr/may time then a 5mm wetsuit is complete overkill. Modern summer suits are so good a 3/2 will be plenty. In the SW I've been the whole winter comfortable in a 4/3
yeah agreed. If just summer surfing go for 3/2mm. I assumed you wanted a year round suit.
Fit of the suit will make more difference than anything else in my experience, provided the seams are stitched/sealed in the same way. For what it's worth, C-Skins seem to be very tall for the size, in that I'm 6'3" and wear a medium (rather than the medium-tall I'd be expected to wear). My 5-3 Wired has been the best outdoorsy kit investment I've ever had, so warm throughout the year in north wales, the brainfreeze is hard to avoid but the rest of me stayed warm!
3/2mm fine until ice forms if you are moving around.
ION or Mystic are what I use, plenty to be had for £200 thereabouts.
Depends what you wear with it and how active you are, I wore the 3.2 whilst sailing when there was ice on the water. Wore it with decent polypropylene leggings and rash vest and it was comfortable.
The 5/3 is for open meets where there's a lot of hanging around getting cold. The sea isn't that cold and in winter you won't want to be hanging around waiting for a wave anyway!
If you're asking for a summer wetsuit, I'd just go as thin as possible, blind stitched in the legs or glued or taped seams in the body. If you want to do the occasional autumn or spring surf then look at polypropylene underwear it make a phenomenal difference to heat retention, ditto a hood, even a thin one will have you sweating in winter and can be pulled back to regulate if you get too warm.
chest or no zip?
Personally I'd go chest purely for ease of entry.
If you aren't going to surf past oct/Nov or before apr/may time then a 5mm wetsuit is complete overkill. Modern summer suits are so good a 3/2 will be plenty. In the SW I've been the whole winter comfortable in a 4/3
+1